Continental Army musket

[Steve Blancard]

I've been thinking about getting a reproduction revolutionalry war period musket. I'd like to have something that a typical soldier in the Continetal army would have carried. The 1766 Charleville musket seems like a good candidate, but a Brown Bess seems like it would be a possibility too. I imagine there are other possibilites as well.

I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts, pros and cons of each. I'm not a reenactor, but live in a historic colonial city in Virginia. My city actually had a state gun factory during the war that manufactured muskets. However, these are exceedingly rare. It would be cool to have a repproduction of a home town musket, but none are available and having a custom repproduction built is beyond my means.

Opinions, thought and comments welcome.

 

The "63 series Charleville musket was and is my choice. You can carry it at Rev. War reenactments and western fur trade doin's as well. You never know when the reenactment bug might bite you.
They are easier to clean than a pinned musket and a lead and powder saver over the English Brown Bess. A better piece of work all the way around. Besides, our later american muskets were patterned after the French Charleville musket. Mine is dependable and rarely misses fire.

 

[torn moc]

I reccommend the Charleville also, but I prefer the 1777 model. The dished ot buttstock helps you line up the sight. The barrel bands are much nicer than a pinned stock also. You must be aware that the Indian repros from some Importers are clunky ( too much wood),,,I shoot a pedersoli
1777 and am very pleased with it!

 

[Stumpkiller]

For realism the 1777 probably wasn't much available on this continent. There were still shooting wars going on in Europe and the likelyhood that France sent their first line weapons as a lend-lease is slim. Possibly some, but the older arsenal runs would be more likely. Certainly Besses were not turned away when available or captured. Here again, the First Land Pattern was probably far and away the most common.

I wish I could find the link, but the NRA had an on-line article at one time highlighting eight original muskets known to have been used in the AWI.

Found it!
[url] http://www.11thpa.org/neumann.html[/url]

 

[MrMarine79]

Great article Stumpkiller! I've bookmarked it.

:hatsoff:

 

[mastrsgt]

You might take a look at Early Rustic Arms. He offers a militia musket that would be a little different than what you have mentioned. I don't have any first hand experience with ERA but have read a number of positive comments here on MLF

Take a look at:
[url] http://www.earlyrusticarms.com/militiamusket.htm[/url]

Don R

 

[Steve Blancard]

Early rustic has some very nice muskets at a fair price - thanks. I do like the looks of the Charleville and am leaning towards it. I'm not interested in an India made version, just a little to risky for my liking.

Besides Pedersoli, does anyone else makes a good quality Charleville? Nothing against Pedersolis, just wondering if there are any other good options.

 

[Timothy Gregory]

I have a Navy Arms 1777 I got back in '91. Don't recall what the asking price was but I traded an AR-15 clone even for it. Hung on the wall for a lot of years till I started shooting smoothbore matches with it a couple of years ago. After I got used to it, It was a heck of a shooter. Had to measure the bore though, wasn't a true .69. Pretty decent gun for reenacting to!

 

[BCarp]

I have one of the ERA "militia muskets" and am very happy with it. It's typical of private contract and "commercial grade" muskets based upon the Brown Bess, but with the various cost-cutting features seen on such guns: no nose-cap, entry pipe, or wrist escutcheon; simplified butt plate, wooden ramrod, and lower grade wood (maple as opposed to walnut). A great "work horse" piece...!

 

[fallaloosa]

Most if not all the colonies had a local "Committee of Safety" or militia for want of a better word. these organizations had specifics for muskets that were made for them. The muskets that survived, which are few due to long and hard use, were mainly based on the British Brown Bess, sue to the fact that prior to the Revolution, these were probably the only military weapons the colonists would have been able to copy. A Long Land Bess would be a perfect musket to carry for a colonial Rev War impression. of course later in the war the French sent over a few thousand muskets that were issued as did Belgium and Holland. Franklin bought these guns when he was abroad. Near the end of the war the colonials began to favor the French models and these were the ones that later Amnerican muskets were based on when they were manufactured. But for an early Rev War impression, I would probably go with the Bess. my two cents on this question, other mileage may vary :v

 

[Parzifal]

HI there ndnchf...

I have a few muskets, a 1st mod bess that I built from a loyalist kit and a piedersoli bess I built from a dixie kit

the kit 1st mod built from Loyalist is head and shoulders comprised of higher quality components "except the heavy stock"and is a very straight shooter! Just keeps my right arm more stout, Many people dislike these arms but if you actually inspect them side by side with comparable military arms "say a piedersoli" they speak for themselves, superior locks,brass castings etc..

The summer that just past I attended my first event many muskets were present, my kit I assembeled from Loyalist was by far more beautiful then any others in attendance

I am presently awaiting a kit 1763 charlesville "one of the old dixie kits" In 69 cal that has me quite excited.

"I have been entering in the reinactment community as of late and its alot of fun and really interesting"
I know whatever arm you choose your going to have alot of fun!

And hey if you want a very nice civillian arm in the future you could always get Mike Brooks to assemble you one all custom, the pictures I have seen are truly drool worthy.

Cheers

Rob

 

[Okwaho]

I agree with Fallaloosa here and would like to add to his post. Long land patterns left over from the F&I War were to a degree available. Short land pattern Besses,put into use just before the Revolution, weren't available yet although they had been put into service as Dragoon arms in 1744.It's doubtful many were available to American forces however until later in the war due to capture.As he said, Committee of Safety muskets were produced according to specific patterns but not in great quantity and were used up pretty quickly.Another group of muskets and fusil muskets {the latter being slightly shorter and of slightly smaller bore}were produced by local gunsmiths primarily in the Northern colonies. These were made of mixed parts and are generally described by students and collectors as "composite muskets". Most of these seem to have been made early in the war and have pronounced Brown Bess styling.This styling may have changed later as French guns became more available and "all things British" became less desirable.Still another group of guns became available starting about 1777 with early shipments of French guns.Obsolete French muskets such as the older models 1717,1728/1746,and 1754 are known and parts from them have been found on composite muskets as well as on Revolutionary war sites.The models 1763/1766 began arriving in 1777 also and soon became a major long arm of American forces.The model 1766 gun was pattern for the first post war American muskets. It is extremely doubtful that many model 1173- 1777's became available in any significant numbers although parts have been found on some excavated sites.I hope this helps.
Tom Patton

 

[Steve Blancard]

This is all really great feedback. So much to choose from. I really appreciate all of your opinions. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Okwaho]

OOPS: please note in my post herein above that in the third line from the bottom the date should have been 1773 rather than 1173. :v
Tom Patton

 

[burgessrudy]

So, you live in Fredericksburg, Va. The Brown Bess would be more accurate for a foot soldier either as militia or Continental line. An English fowling piece would be ok. Rifles were mostly a Mountain county weapon of the militia. I have a Pedersoli Brown Bess and now a Chamber's Virginia Rifle.

"Colonel Caswell’s victory in North Carolina, and the military spirit which it has raised, will be an obstacle to any attempts in that quarter. Maryland and Virginia are at present rather unprepared, but their strength is daily increasing. The late levies have been made with surprising rapidity, and the seven new regiments are already in a manner complete except as to arms, in which they are very deficient ; but arms are coming in, in small quantities, from different parts of the country, and a very considerable manufactory is established at Fredericksburg." George Mason to George Washington, April 1776.


""Tell George his recruiting Expences are not allowed, nor any of the Minute Officers. I have got a Warrant for £3..5 for the two Guns, chd. in his Acct. furnished the Detachment of his Compy. wch. march'd with Ensign Cofer. I have spoken to Capt. Lee about the two Guns, his Compy. carried from Dumfries; but he says he knows nothing about them, & unless George can make some other Proof, they will be lost, & no Satisfaction recd. for them; especially as Capt. Lee's Company, wth. the rest of the third Regiment is ordered to march imediatly to Carolina. He shou'd also get a Certificate from Ensign Cofer for the Musket he took of mine from John Tillet's Shop; tho' I had much rather have the Musket re-turn'd; for as we have a Bayonet for her, she wou'd now sell at £5”¦10." George Mason to Martin Cockburn June 1776.

 

[rickystl]

I was at the recent NRA Convention in St.Louis this year and stopped by the DGW booth. They had on display the Pedersoli 1766 Charleville. I handled the gun and it looked well made considering a production gun. JFYI.

 

[Carteret Kid]

I am looking at the Loyalists Arms British dog musket lock . This is a 76 bore circa 1710 British issue which were also widely used by Royal Navy and colonials . Certainly a large number were still in use in 1775 and in earlier colonial wars . I want a weapon that covers a long time span as well as demonstrates the ad hoc nature of Rev war equipment . It even works as a pirate era weapon .

 

[mastrsgt]

If you want to see exactly which muskets were in use and where they came from, I would recommend you get or borrow "Muskets of the Revolution and the French & Indian Wars" written by Bill Ahearn.
He covers British, French, Dutch, German, Spaniah, and American smoothbore weapons of both wars. Includes many pictures and comments on units and individuals who used these weapons.

ISBN: 1-931464-19.7

Don R

 

[Steve Blancard]

You are correct my friend! I live about a mile from the site of the of the old Fredericksburg Gun Factory. Here is more information on it:

Fredericksburg Gun Factory

Guns made here are extremly rare. Here is a photo of an original lockplate:
Fredericksburg gun Factory lock plate

Anyone have one gathering dust?

 

[Carteret Kid]

Were the Fredrecksburg guns British or French pattern ?